Fiber optic/electrical connection system

ABSTRACT

A fiber optic and electrical connection system includes a fiber optic cable, a ruggedized fiber optic connector, a ruggedized fiber optic adapter, and a fiber optic enclosure. The cable includes one or more electrically conducting strength members. The connector, the adapter, and the enclosure each have one or more electrical conductors. The cable is terminated by the connector with the conductors of the connector in electrical communication with the strength members. The conductors of the connector electrically contact the conductors of the adapter when the connector and the adapter are mechanically connected. And, the conductors of the adapter electrically contact the conductors of the enclosure when the adapter is mounted on the enclosure.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application is a continuation of U.S. Pat. Application No.17/068,911, filed Oct. 13, 2020, which is a continuation of U.S. Pat.Application No. 16/421,545, filed May 24, 2019, now U.S.Pat. No.10,838,151, issued Nov. 17, 2020, which is a continuation of U.S. Pat.Application No. 15/996,962, filed Jun. 4, 2018, now U.S. Pat. No.10,345,531, issued Jul. 9, 2019, which is a continuation of U.S. Pat.Application No. 15/282,165, filed Sep. 30, 2016, now U.S. Pat. No9,989,707, issued Jun. 5, 2018, which is a continuation of U.S. Pat.Application No. 14/822,170, filed Aug. 10, 2015, now U.S. Pat. No.9,459,411, issued Oct. 4, 2016, which is a continuation of U.S. Pat.Application No. 14/552,210, filed Nov. 24, 2014, now U.S. Pat. No.9,104,001, issued Aug. 11, 2015, which is a continuation of U.S. Pat.Application No. 13/936,499, filed Jul. 8, 2013, now U.S. Pat. No.8,894,300, issued Nov. 25, 2014, which is a continuation of U.S. Pat.Application No. 13/021,416, filed Feb. 4, 2011, now U.S. Pat. No.8,480,312, issued Jul. 9, 2013, which claims the benefit of ProvisionalPatent Application No. 61/301,460, filed Feb. 4, 2010, whichapplications are hereby incorporated by reference in their entireties.The present application is related to U.S. Provisional Pat. ApplicationNo. 61/007,222, filed Dec. 11, 2007; U.S. Provisional Pat. ApplicationNo. 61/029,524, filed Feb. 18, 2008; and to the following U.S. Pat.Application Publications, all filed on Sep. 3, 2008 and published Jun.11, 2009: Pub. No. 2009/0148101, entitled “Hardened Fiber OpticConnection System with Multiple Configurations”, now U.S. Pat. No.7,744,286, issued Jun. 29, 2010; Pub. No. 2009/0148102, entitled“Hardened Fiber Optic Connector Compatible with Hardened andNon-Hardened Fiber Optic Adapters”, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,744,288, issuedJun. 29, 2010; Pub. No. 2009/0148103, entitled “Hardened Fiber OpticConnector and Cable Assembly with Multiple Configurations”, now U.S.Pat. No. 7,942,590, issued May 17, 2011; and Pub. No. 2009/0148104,entitled “Hardened Fiber Optic Connection System”, now U.S. Pat. No.7,762,726, issued Jul. 27, 2010, which applications and publications arehereby incorporated by reference in their entireties.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates to fiber optic and electrical connectionsystems, and more particularly to connection systems that simultaneouslyconnect both optical and electrical circuits.

BACKGROUND

Fiber optic cables are widely used to transmit light signals for highspeed data transmission. A fiber optic cable typically includes: (1) anoptical fiber or optical fibers; (2) a buffer or buffers that surroundsthe fiber or fibers; (3) a strength layer and/or strength members thatsurrounds the buffer or buffers; and (4) an outer jacket. Optical fibersfunction to carry optical signals. A typical optical fiber includes aninner core surrounded by a cladding that is covered by a coating.Buffers (e.g., loose or tight buffer tubes) typically function tosurround and protect coated optical fibers. Strength layers and/orstrength members add mechanical strength to fiber optic cables toprotect the internal optical fibers against stresses applied to thecables during installation and thereafter. Example strengthlayers/strength members include aramid yarn, steel, glass-reinforcedplastic (GRP), and epoxy reinforced glass roving. Outer j ackets provideprotection against damage caused by crushing, abrasions, and otherphysical damage. Outer jackets also provide protection against chemicaldamage (e.g., ozone, alkali, acids).

Fiber optic cable connection systems are used to facilitate connectingand disconnecting fiber optic cables in the field without requiring asplice. A typical fiber optic cable connection system forinterconnecting two fiber optic cables includes fiber optic connectorsmounted at the ends of the fiber optic cables, and an adapter formechanically and optically coupling the fiber optic connectors together.Fiber optic connectors generally include ferrules that support the endsof the optical fibers of the fiber optic cables. The end faces of theferrules are typically polished and are often angled. The adapterincludes co-axially aligned ports (i.e., receptacles) for receiving thefiber optic connectors desired to be interconnected. The adapterincludes an internal sleeve that receives and aligns the ferrules of thefiber optic connectors when the connectors are inserted within the portsof the adapter. With the ferrules and their associated fibers alignedwithin the sleeve of the adapter, a fiber optic signal can pass from onefiber to the next. The adapter also typically has a mechanical fasteningarrangement (e.g., a snap-fit arrangement) for mechanically retainingthe fiber optic connectors within the adapter. One example of anexisting fiber optic connection system is described in U.S. Pat. Nos.6,579,014, 6,648,520, and 6,899,467.

SUMMARY

One aspect of the present disclosure relates to a fiber optic andelectrical connection system that includes a fiber optic cable, aruggedized fiber optic connector, and a ruggedized fiber optic adapter.

The fiber optic cable includes first and second strength members thatare electrically conductive, an optical fiber, and a cable jacket thatis positioned around the first and the second strength members and theoptical fiber. The ruggedized fiber optic connector terminates an end ofthe fiber optic cable and includes a connector housing with a first endfor receiving the first and the second strength members and a secondopposite end with a plug portion. A ferrule is mounted to the plugportion and terminates the optical fiber of the fiber optic cable. Theruggedized fiber optic connector includes a first electrical conductorand a second electrical conductor. The first electrical conductor iselectrically connected with the first strength member, and the secondelectrical conductor is electrically connected with the second strengthmember. A coupling nut is rotatably mounted around the connectorhousing, and a sealing member is mounted around the connector housingbetween the coupling nut and the second end of the connector housing.The ruggedized fiber optic adapter includes an adapter housing with afirst end that defines a ruggedized port and an opposite second end thatdefines a non-ruggedized port. A ferrule sleeve within the adapterhousing is adapted to receive the ferrule of the ruggedized fiber opticconnector and is accessible from both the ruggedized and thenon-ruggedized ports. The ruggedized fiber optic adapter includes athird electrical conductor and a fourth electrical conductor. The thirdelectrical conductor includes a first contact that is accessible fromthe ruggedized port and a second contact that is positioned outside theadapter housing. The fourth electrical conductor includes a thirdcontact that is accessible from the ruggedized port and a fourth contactthat is positioned outside the adapter housing.

The ruggedized port of the ruggedized fiber optic adapter is configuredto receive the plug portion of the ruggedized fiber optic connector. Theruggedized port includes internal threads that threadingly receiveexternal threads of the coupling nut, and the ruggedized port includes asealing surface that engages the sealing member of the ruggedized fiberoptic connector when the ruggedized fiber optic connector is fullyconnected to the ruggedized fiber optic adapter. The first contact ofthe third electrical conductor of the ruggedized fiber optic adapterelectrically contacts the first electrical conductor of the ruggedizedfiber optic connector and the second contact of the fourth electricalconductor of the ruggedized fiber optic adapter electrically contactsthe second electrical conductor of the ruggedized fiber optic connectorwhen the ruggedized fiber optic connector is fully connected to theruggedized fiber optic adapter.

The first and the second strength members of the fiber optic cable canbe electrically insulated from each other. The first and the secondelectrical conductors of the ruggedized fiber optic connector can beelectrically insulated from each other. And, the third and the fourthelectrical conductors of the ruggedized fiber optic adapter can beelectrically insulated from each other.

The first and the second strength members can include a glass reinforcedplastic clad by a conductive material. The connector housing of theruggedized fiber optic connector can include a first channel forreceiving the first strength member and a second channel for receivingthe second strength member of the fiber optic cable. The firstelectrical conductor can include a first lug at least partially betweenthe first strength member and a wall of the first channel, and thesecond electrical conductor can include a second lug at least partiallybetween the second strength member and a wall of the second channel. Thefirst lug electrically connects the first electrical conductor to thefirst strength member, and the second lug electrically connects thesecond electrical conductor to the second strength member. The first lugcan be bonded to the first strength member, and the second lug can bebonded to the second strength member by an electrically conductingmaterial.

The plug portion of the connector housing of the ruggedized fiber opticconnector can include a first detent positioned opposite from a seconddetent. The first detent can expose a contacting portion of the firstelectrical conductor, and the second detent can expose a contactingportion of the second electrical conductor. The ferrule sleeve of theruggedized fiber optic adapter can define a central longitudinal axis.The first contact of the third electrical conductor can be spring-loadedtoward the longitudinal axis, and the second contact of the fourthelectrical conductor can be spring-loaded toward the longitudinal axis.The first and the second contacts can initially spread apart from eachother upon insertion of the plug portion of the connector housing intothe ruggedized port of the ruggedized fiber optic adapter. The firstcontact can press into the first detent and the second contact can pressinto the second detent when the ruggedized fiber optic connector isfully connected to the ruggedized fiber optic adapter. The first contactcan electrically contact the contacting portion of the first electricalconductor and the second contact can electrically contact the contactingportion of the second electrical conductor when the ruggedized fiberoptic connector is fully connected to the ruggedized fiber opticadapter.

The adapter housing of the ruggedized fiber optic adapter can includefirst and second slots between the first and the second ends of theadapter housing. The first and the second slots can extend through awall of the adapter housing from the ruggedized port to an exterior ofthe adapter housing.

A variety of additional inventive aspects will be set forth in thedescription that follows. The inventive aspects can relate to individualfeatures and to combinations of features. It is to be understood thatboth the forgoing general description and the following detaileddescription are exemplary and explanatory only and are not restrictiveof the broad inventive concepts upon which the embodiments disclosedherein are based.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a cut-away perspective view of an optical/electrical cableterminated by an optical/electrical connector with theoptical/electrical connector connected to an optical/electrical adapterand electrical conductors of the optical/electrical connector and theoptical/electrical adapter vertically exploded above the connector andthe adapter;

FIG. 2 is the cut-away perspective view of FIG. 1 but with the uncutelectrical conductors of FIG. 1 unexploded;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional perspective view of the optical/electricaladapter of FIG. 1 with the electrical conductors of theoptical/electrical adapter removed;

FIG. 4 is the cross-sectional perspective view of FIG. 3 but with theelectrical conductors shown;

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional perspective view of the optical/electricalconnector of FIG. 1 with the electrical conductors of theoptical/electrical connector removed;

FIG. 6 is the cross-sectional perspective view of FIG. 5 but with theelectrical conductors shown;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the electrical conductor of theoptical/electrical adapter of FIG. 1 ;

FIG. 8 is a side elevation view of the electrical conductor of theoptical/electrical adapter of FIG. 1 ;

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the electrical conductor of theoptical/electrical connector of FIG. 1 ;

FIG. 10 is a rear elevation view of the electrical conductor of theoptical/electrical connector of FIG. 1 ;

FIG. 11 is a partial perspective view of a cabinet with six of theoptical/electrical adapters of FIG. 1 mounted in openings of a cabinetpanel of the cabinet and three of the optical/electrical connectors ofFIG. 1 connected to three of the adapters and one of theadapter-connector pairs shown in horizontal cross-section;

FIG. 12 is the partial perspective view of FIG. 11 but with only thecabinet panel shown;

FIG. 13 is the partial perspective view of FIG. 11 but with the cabinetpanel removed thereby more fully revealing adapter-to-adapter electricalconductors within the cabinet;

FIG. 14 is the partial perspective view of FIG. 11 but with the cabinetpanel removed and portions of the adapters and the connectors cut awaythereby more fully revealing the adapter-to-adapter electricalconductors of FIG. 13 ;

FIG. 15 is the partial perspective view of FIG. 11 but with only one ofthe adapter-to-adapter electrical conductors of FIG. 13 shown;

FIG. 16 is the partial perspective view of FIG. 11 but with only anotherof the adapter-to-adapter electrical conductors of FIG. 13 shown;

FIG. 17 is an enlarged portion of an upper-left corner of FIG. 14 ;

FIG. 18 is the enlarged portion of FIG. 17 but with theoptical/electrical connector of FIG. 1 removed; and

FIG. 19 is similar to the view of FIG. 14 but with a multi-adapterelectrical conductor replacing the adapter-to-adapter electricalconductors of FIG. 13 , only two of the optical/electrical connectors ofFIG. 1 inserted into the six optical/electrical adapters of FIG. 1 ,three left-side adapters having an inverted orientation, and one of theadapters shown in horizontal cross-section.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present disclosure involves fiber optic cable connection systems andcomponents that connect both optical paths and electrical paths. Inparticular, a fiber optic cable includes at least one optical fiber andat least one electrical conductor. The fiber optic cable is terminatedand connected to hardware such as telecommunications and/or computerhardware. Upon connection, the optical fiber is optically connected andthe electrical conductor is electrically connected to the hardware viathe termination. The hardware can include an adapter, and the adaptercan connect the fiber optic cable to a second optical cable and/or asecond electrical conductor.

As depicted, a fiber optic cable 20 includes two electrical conductors,224A and 224B. In particular, the fiber optic cable 20 includes a firststrength member 224A and a second strength member 224B that areelectrically conductive and function as the electrical conductors 224A,224B (see FIGS. 1 and 2 ). Example strength members 224A, 224B can bemade of aramid yarn, steel, glass-reinforced plastic (GRP), and/or epoxyreinforced glass roving. The strength members 224A, 224B can include aconductive metallic coating such as an aluminum or a copper coating overotherwise non-conducting or poorly conducting material. The strengthmembers 224A, 224B can include conductive metallic strands such asaluminum or copper strands, and the strands can be mixed with otherwisenon-conducting or poorly conducting material of the strength members224A, 224B. In other embodiments, the electrical conductors 224A and224B can be separate from the strength members. The example fiber opticcable 20 further includes an optical fiber 500, a buffer layer 220 (seeFIGS. 5 and 6 ), and a cable jacket 226.

As depicted, the fiber optic cable 20 is terminated by a fiber opticconnector 32. The fiber optic connector 32 can be a ruggedized fiberoptic connector and is depicted as such. The fiber optic connector 32includes similarities to fiber optic connectors illustrated at U.S. Pat.Application Publications 2009/0148101, 2009/0148102, 2009/0148103, and2009/0148104, incorporated by reference above. The fiber optic connector32 includes a connector housing 39 (see FIG. 5 ) that extends between aproximal end 54 (see FIG. 1 ) and a distal end 52 (see FIG. 5 ). Thedistal end 52 includes a plug portion 56, and the proximal end 54 ismechanically connected to the fiber optic cable 20. A coupling nut 40with external threads 75 can be placed over and/or rotatably mounted onthe connector housing 39. A sealing member 49 can be placed around theconnector housing 39 between the coupling nut 40 and the distal end 52.A ferrule 100 is mounted to the plug portion 56 and terminates theoptical fiber 500 of the fiber optic cable 20. The ferrule 100 defines acentral longitudinal axis A₁ of the fiber optic connector 32 (see FIGS.5 and 6 ).

The fiber optic connector 32 includes a first electrical conductor 391Aand a second electrical conductor 391B. The first electrical conductor391A is electrically connected with the first strength member 224A, andthe second electrical conductor 391B is electrically connected with thesecond strength member 224B (see FIG. 6 ). As depicted, the connectorhousing 39 includes a first pathway 396A and a second pathway 396B thatextend at least partially within the connector housing 39 (see FIG. 5 ).The first and the second pathways 396A, 396B extend within acircumference of the sealing member 49 and thus do not interfere orcompromise functionality of the sealing member 49. The first and thesecond pathways 396A, 396B extend within an interior of the coupling nut40 and thus do not interfere or compromise functionality of the couplingnut 40. Likewise, the first and the second pathways 396A, 396B extendwithin various other features of the connector housing 39, asillustrated at FIG. 5 . As depicted, the first and the second pathways396A, 396B distally emerge at detents 55A and 55B of the connectorhousing 39 respectively, and the pathways 396A, 396B proximally emergewithin the connector 32 near ends 225A, 225B of the strength members224A, 224B. The detents 55A, 55B can be positioned at the plug portion56 of the connector housing 39. As depicted, the first electricalconductor 391A is positioned partially within the first pathway 396A,and the second electrical conductor 391B is positioned partially withinthe second pathway 396B.

The first electrical conductor 391A of the fiber optic connector 32includes a contacting portion 381A at or near its distal end, and thesecond electrical conductor 391B of the fiber optic connector 32includes a contacting portion 381B at or near its distal end (see FIG. 6). The contacting portion 381A is exposed within the detent 55A, and thecontacting portion 381B is exposed within the detent 55B. The firstelectrical conductor 391A of the fiber optic connector 32 includes a lug371A at or near its proximal end, and the second electrical conductor391B of the fiber optic connector 32 includes a lug 371B at or near itsdistal end (see FIGS. 1 and 2 ). The lugs 371A, 371B are adapted to bemechanically and electrically connected with the strength members 224A,224B. The electrical conductors 391A, 391B thereby electrically connectthe strength members 224B, 224A to the plug portion 56 of the fiberoptic connector 32. As depicted, the contacting portions 381A, 381B facelaterally outward from the plug portion 56.

As depicted, the fiber optic connector 32 can be received by andconnected to a fiber optic adapter 34. The fiber optic adapter 34 can bea ruggedized fiber optic adapter and is depicted as such. The fiberoptic adapter 34 includes similarities to fiber optic adaptersillustrated at U.S. Pat. Application Publications 2009/0148101,2009/0148102, 2009/0148103, and 2009/0148104, incorporated by referenceabove. The fiber optic adapter 34 includes a housing 44 (see FIG. 3 )that extends between a first end 70 and a second end 72. As depicted,the housing 44 includes a first housing piece 45 and a second housingpiece 47 that snap together. The first end 70 of the housing 44 includesa port 35, and the second end 72 includes a port 37. As depicted, theport 35 is a ruggedized port and the port 37 is a non-ruggedized port.The ruggedized port 35 includes internal threads 76 and a sealingsurface 74 (see FIG. 4 ) that are included in the first housing piece45. An adapter mounting nut 46 can be placed over external threads 66 ofthe first housing piece 45 of the adapter housing 44. The first housingpiece 45 can include a mounting flange 48 for use in conjunction withthe adapter mounting nut 46. A sealing member 17 can be placed aroundthe adapter housing 44 between the adapter mounting nut 46 and themounting flange 48. Ruggedization functions, including sealing by thesealing member 17 and the sealing surface 74, adapter 34 mounting by themounting flange 48 and the mounting nut 46, and connector 32 attachmentby the internal threads 76 are thus accomplished and/or accommodated bythe first housing piece 45 of the adapter housing 44. A ferrule holdingand alignment sleeve 202 is mounted within the fiber optic adapter 34and is accessible from both the ports 35 and 37. The alignment sleeve202 defines an axis A₂ of the fiber optic adapter 34.

The fiber optic adapter 34 includes a first electrical conductor 323Aand a second electrical conductor 323B. The first and second electricalconductors 323A, 323B can be substantially identical to each other andbe collectively referred to as an electrical conductor 323 (see FIGS. 7and 8 ). In certain embodiments, the electrical conductor 323 is made ofa material with flexible and/or spring-like properties. The firstelectrical conductor 323A is electrically connected with the firstelectrical conductor 391A and the second electrical conductor 323B iselectrically connected with the second electrical conductor 391B whenthe fiber optic connector 32 is fully received by the fiber opticadapter 34 (see FIGS. 1 and 2 ). As depicted, the second housing piece47 of the adapter housing 44 includes a first slot 343A and a secondslot 343B that extend through a wall 50 of the second housing piece 47(see FIG. 3 ). The first and the second slots 343A, 343B extend throughthe wall 50 of the second housing piece 47 of the housing 44 between thesealing member 17 and the non-ruggedized port 37 and thus do notinterfere or compromise functionality of the sealing member 17, thesealing surface 74, and/or other ruggedized features of the ruggedizedfiber optic adapter 34. The first and the second slots 343A, 343B extendwithin an interior of the adapter housing 44. As depicted, the firstelectrical conductor 323A is positioned partially within the first slot343A, and the second electrical conductor 323B is positioned partiallywithin the second slot 343B (see FIGS. 3 and 4 ).

The first electrical conductor 323A of the fiber optic adapter 34includes a contacting portion 383A at or near an exterior of the adapterhousing 44, and the second electrical conductor 323B includes acontacting portion 383B at or near the exterior of the adapter housing44 (see FIG. 4 ). As depicted, the contacting portions 383A, 383B facenormal to the central longitudinal axis A₂ of the fiber optic adapter34. The first electrical conductor 323A of the fiber optic adapter 34includes a contact 331A at or near the interior of the adapter housing44, and the second electrical conductor 323B includes a contact 331B ator near the interior of the adapter housing 44 (see FIG. 4 ). Thecontacts 331A, 331B are biased inwardly within the adapter housing 44and are adapted to be mechanically and electrically connected with thecontacting portions 381A, 381B of the electrical conductors 391A, 391Bof the fiber optic connector 32 when the fiber optic connector 32 isfully inserted into the first port 35 of the fiber optic adapter 34. Thecontacts 331A, 331B include a ramp and/or a rounded portion 332 (seeFIGS. 7 and 8 ). As depicted, the electrical conductor 323 includes acantilevered arm 333 that urges the contacts 331A, 331B inward towardthe axis A₂ of the fiber optic adapter 34 when the electrical conductors323 are in an installed position, as shown at FIG. 4 .

When the fiber optic connector 32 is inserted into the port 35 of thefiber optic adapter 34, the plug portion 56 can flex the contacts 331A,331B of the electrical conductors 323A, 323B outward. As the insertioncontinues, the contacts 331A, 331B reach the detents 55A, 55B of theconnector housing 39 and thereby un-flex into the detents 55A, 55B. Whenthe contacts 331A, 331B un-flex, they establish electrical contact withthe contacting portions 381A, 381B of the electrical conductors 391A,391B of the fiber optic connector 32. The electrical conductors 323A,323B thereby electrically connect the fiber optic connector 32 to theexterior of the fiber optic adapter 34.

A path of electrical continuity that respectively includes the strengthmembers 224A, 224B of the fiber optic cable 20, the conductors 391A,391B of the fiber optic connector 32, and the conductors 323A, 323B ofthe fiber optic adapter 34 can continue within a enclosure 19 (e.g., acabinet, a fiber distribution hub, a drop terminal, etc.) or other pieceof optical-electrical hardware (see FIGS. 11, 13, 14, and 17-19 ). Anexample drop terminal is described at U.S. Pat. Application PublicationNo. 2008/0138025, published Jun. 12, 2008, and is hereby incorporated byreference in its entirety. The enclosure 19 includes one or moreopenings 22 (see FIG. 12 ) that are adapted to mount the fiber opticadapter 34. An example electrical conductor 260 can be included withinthe enclosure 19 that makes electrical contact with the contactingportions 383A, 383B of the electrical conductors 323A, 323B (see FIG. 14). The path of electrical continuity can transmit electricity for thepurpose of electrical power and/or electrical signals between the fiberoptic cable 20 and the enclosure 19.

The electrical conductor 260 can be included on and held by a circuitboard 250 or other suitable means. FIGS. 11 and 13-19 illustrate severalcircuit boards that are collectively referred to as the circuit boards250. The circuit boards 250 include several electrical conductors thatare collectively referred to as the electrical conductors 260.

The electrical conductors 323 include a valley 328 and a peak 329. Thecircuit boards 250 can be held in operational position by mounting themon one or more of the electrical conductors 323. In particular, thecircuit boards 250 include one or more openings 222 (see FIGS. 15 and 16). The openings 222 of the circuit boards 250 can be held within a pairof opposed valleys 328 of the electrical conductors 323 of the fiberoptic adapters 34. The circuit boards 250 can be snapped on and snappedoff from around the fiber optic adapters 34 by pressing them over thepeaks 329 of the electrical conductors 323 of the fiber optic adapters34. The peaks 329 can elastically and/or plastically deform when thecircuit board 250 is snapped on and off.

The circuit boards 250 or other mountings for the electrical conductors260 within the enclosure 19 can be mechanically supported by theenclosure 19 and/or other structure within the enclosure 19. This allowsthe electrical conductors 323 of the adapter 34 to be electricallyconnected with the conductors 260 of the circuit board 250 when theadapter 34 is inserted through the opening 22 of the enclosure 19. Asdescribed above but with the circuit board 250 remaining stationary, theadapter 34 can be snapped in and snapped out of the opening 222 of thecircuit board 250.

FIGS. 11 and 13-19 illustrate the various circuit boards 250. Inparticular, FIGS. 11 and 13-18 illustrate a crossed connection circuitboard 250C and a straight connection circuit board 250S. The circuitboards 250C and 250S can transmit signals and/or power between a firstfiber optic cable 20A and a second fiber optic cable 20B. The crossedconnection circuit board 250C results in electrical connection betweenthe first strength member 224A of the first fiber optic cable 20A andthe second strength member 224B of the second fiber optic cable 20B. Thecrossed connection circuit board 250C also results in electricalconnection between the second strength member 224B of the first fiberoptic cable 20A and the first strength member 224A of the second fiberoptic cable 20B (see FIG. 13 ). The straight connection circuit board250S results in electrical connection between the first strength member224A of the first fiber optic cable 20A and the first strength member224A of the second fiber optic cable 20B. The straight connectioncircuit board 250S also results in electrical connection between thesecond strength member 224B of the first fiber optic cable 20A and thesecond strength member 224B of the second fiber optic cable 20B.

The circuit boards 250C and 250S and the paths of electrical continuitythat they are part of can be used, for example, to bring electricalpower from a dwelling of an end user to a fiber optic enclosure (e.g.,the cabinet, the fiber distribution hub, the drop terminal, etc.). Theelectrical power can be transferred by the fiber optic cables 20A, 20Band used within the fiber optic enclosure to provide power to activeoptical components within the enclosure. One of the cables 20A, 20B canbe connected to the dwelling of the end user and receive electricalpower from the dwelling.

FIG. 19 illustrates a circuit board 250P that includes an electricalplug 252. The circuit board 250P and the paths of electrical continuitythat it is a part of can be used, for example, to bring electrical powerfrom a power supply within a fiber optic enclosure to one or more of thefiber optic cables 20 that are connected to the fiber optic enclosure.Similarly, the circuit board 250P and the paths of electrical continuitycan be used to transmit an electrical signal to, from, and/or throughthe fiber optic enclosure that mounts the circuit board 250P.

From the forgoing detailed description, it will be evident thatmodifications and variations can be made in the devices of thedisclosure without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:
 1. A fiber optic and electrical connection systemcomprising: a fiber optic cable including first and second strengthmembers that are electrically conductive, an optical fiber, and a cablej acket positioned around the first and the second strength members andthe optical fiber; a ruggedized fiber optic connector terminating an endof the fiber optic cable, the ruggedized fiber optic connector includinga connector housing with a first end for receiving the first and thesecond strength members and a second opposite end with a plug portion, aferrule mounted to the plug portion and terminating the optical fiber ofthe fiber optic cable, a first electrical conductor electricallyconnected with the first strength member, a second electrical conductorelectrically connected with the second strength member, a coupling nutrotatably mounted around the connector housing, and a sealing membermounted around the connector housing between the coupling nut and thesecond end of the connector housing; and a ruggedized fiber opticadapter including an adapter housing with a first end defining aruggedized port and an opposite second end defining a non-ruggedizedport, a ferrule sleeve within the adapter housing adapted to receive theferrule of the ruggedized fiber optic connector and accessible from boththe ruggedized and the non-ruggedized ports, a third electricalconductor including a first contact accessible from the ruggedized portand a second contact positioned outside the adapter housing, and afourth electrical conductor including a third contact accessible fromthe ruggedized port and a fourth contact positioned outside the adapterhousing; wherein the ruggedized port of the ruggedized fiber opticadapter is configured to receive the plug portion of the ruggedizedfiber optic connector, the ruggedized port including internal threadsthat threadingly receive external threads of the coupling nut, and theruggedized port including a sealing surface that engages the sealingmember of the ruggedized fiber optic connector when the ruggedized fiberoptic connector is fully connected to the ruggedized fiber opticadapter; and wherein the first contact of the third electrical conductorof the ruggedized fiber optic adapter electrically contacts the firstelectrical conductor of the ruggedized fiber optic connector and thesecond contact of the fourth electrical conductor of the ruggedizedfiber optic adapter electrically contacts the second electricalconductor of the ruggedized fiber optic connector when the ruggedizedfiber optic connector is fully connected to the ruggedized fiber opticadapter.
 2. The fiber optic and electrical connection system of claim 1,wherein the first and the second strength members of the fiber opticcable are electrically insulated from each other, the first and thesecond electrical conductors of the ruggedized fiber optic connector areelectrically insulated from each other, and the third and the fourthelectrical conductors of the ruggedized fiber optic adapter areelectrically insulated from each other.
 3. The fiber optic andelectrical connection system of claim 1, wherein the first and thesecond strength members include a glass reinforced plastic clad by aconductive material.
 4. The fiber optic and electrical connection systemof claim 1, wherein the connector housing of the ruggedized fiber opticconnector includes a first channel for receiving the first strengthmember and a second channel for receiving the second strength member ofthe fiber optic cable.
 5. The fiber optic and electrical connectionsystem of claim 4, wherein the first electrical conductor includes afirst lug at least partially between the first strength member and awall of the first channel and the second electrical conductor includes asecond lug at least partially between the second strength member and awall of the second channel, the first lug electrically connecting thefirst electrical conductor to the first strength member and the secondlug electrically connecting the second electrical conductor to thesecond strength member.
 6. The fiber optic and electrical connectionsystem of claim 5, wherein the first lug is bonded to the first strengthmember and the second lug is bonded to the second strength member by anelectrically conducting material.
 7. The fiber optic and electricalconnection system of claim 1, wherein the plug portion of the connectorhousing of the ruggedized fiber optic connector includes a first detentpositioned opposite from a second detent, the first detent exposing acontacting portion of the first electrical conductor and the seconddetent exposing a contacting portion of the second electrical conductor.8. The fiber optic and electrical connection system of claim 7, whereinthe ferrule sleeve of the ruggedized fiber optic adapter defines acentral longitudinal axis, the first contact of the third electricalconductor is spring-loaded toward the longitudinal axis, the secondcontact of the fourth electrical conductor is spring-loaded toward thelongitudinal axis, the first and the second contacts initially spreadapart from each other upon insertion of the plug portion of theconnector housing into the ruggedized port of the ruggedized fiber opticadapter, the first contact presses into the first detent and the secondcontact presses into the second detent when the ruggedized fiber opticconnector is fully connected to the ruggedized fiber optic adapter, andthe first contact electrically contacts the contacting portion of thefirst electrical conductor and the second contact electrically contactsthe contacting portion of the second electrical conductor when theruggedized fiber optic connector is fully connected to the ruggedizedfiber optic adapter.
 9. The fiber optic and electrical connection systemof claim 1, wherein the adapter housing of the ruggedized fiber opticadapter includes first and second slots between the first and the secondends of the adapter housing, the first and the second slots extendingthrough a wall of the adapter housing from the ruggedized port to anexterior of the adapter housing.
 10. A fiber optic and electricalconnection system comprising: a fiber optic cable including first andsecond electrical conductors, an optical fiber, and a cable j acketpositioned around the first and the second electrical conductors and theoptical fiber; a fiber optic connector terminating an end of the fiberoptic cable, the fiber optic connector including a connector housingwith a first end for receiving the first and the second electricalconductors of the fiber optic cable and a second opposite end with aplug portion, a ferrule mounted to the plug portion and terminating theoptical fiber of the fiber optic cable, a first contacting portionincluded on an exterior of the plug portion, the first contactingportion electrically connected with the first electrical conductor ofthe fiber optic cable, and a second contacting portion included on theexterior of the plug portion, the second contacting portion electricallyconnected with the second electrical conductor of the fiber optic cable;and a fiber optic adapter including an adapter housing with a first enddefining a first port and an opposite second end defining a second port,a ferrule sleeve within the adapter housing adapted to receive theferrule of the fiber optic connector and accessible from both the firstand the second ports, a third contacting portion included in the firstport electrically connected with a fourth contacting portion positionedon an exterior of the adapter housing, and a fifth contacting portionincluded in the first port electrically connected with a sixthcontacting portion positioned on the exterior of the adapter housing;wherein the first port of the fiber optic adapter is configured toreceive the plug portion of the fiber optic connector; and wherein thefirst contacting portion included on the exterior of the plug portionelectrically contacts the third contacting portion included in the firstport and the second contacting portion included on the exterior of theplug portion electrically contacts the fifth contacting portion includedin the first port when the fiber optic connector is fully connected tothe fiber optic adapter.
 11. The fiber optic and electrical connectionsystem of claim 10, further comprising an enclosure including anopening, a first electrical conductor, and a second electricalconductor, wherein when the fiber optic adapter is mounted to theenclosure through the opening, a portion of the first electricalconductor of the enclosure electrically contacts the fourth contactingportion that is positioned on the exterior of the adapter housing, and aportion of the second electrical conductor of the enclosure electricallycontacts the sixth contacting portion that is also positioned on theexterior of the adapter housing.
 12. The fiber optic and electricalconnection system of claim 11, wherein electrical power can betransferred via the first and the second electrical conductors of thefiber optic cable across the first, second, third, fourth, fifth, andsixth contacting portions and to the enclosure when the fiber opticconnector is connected to the fiber optic adapter and the fiber opticadapter is mounted to the enclosure.
 13. The fiber optic and electricalconnection system of claim 11, further comprising a second fiber opticcable, a second fiber optic connector, and a second fiber optic adapter,wherein the second fiber optic cable is terminated by the second fiberoptic connector, wherein the enclosure includes a second opening thatmounts the second fiber optic adapter, wherein an electrical connectionis established between the fiber optic cable and the second fiber opticcable when the fiber optic connector is connected to the fiber opticadapter, the fiber optic adapter is mounted to the enclosure at theopening, the second fiber optic connector is connected to the secondfiber optic adapter, and the second fiber optic adapter is mounted tothe enclosure at the second opening.
 14. The fiber optic and electricalconnection system of claim 13, wherein the first and the secondelectrical conductors of the enclosure are both included on a circuitboard of the enclosure, wherein the first and the second electricalconductors of the enclosure are part of the electrical connectionbetween the fiber optic cable and the second fiber optic cable.
 15. Thefiber optic and electrical connection system of claim 10, wherein theferrule of the fiber optic connector defines a central longitudinal axisand the first and the second contacting portions of the plug portion ofthe connector housing face away from the central longitudinal axis. 16.The fiber optic and electrical connection system of claim 15, whereinthe first and the second contacting portions of the plug portion of theconnector housing face oppositely from each other.
 17. The fiber opticand electrical connection system of claim 16, wherein the plug portionof the connector housing of the fiber optic connector includes a firstdetent positioned opposite from a second detent, wherein the firstcontacting portion is positioned within the first detent, and whereinthe second contacting portion is positioned within the second detent.18. The fiber optic and electrical connection system of claim 10,wherein the fiber optic connector is a ruggedized fiber optic connectorand includes a coupling nut rotatably mounted around the connectorhousing and a sealing member mounted around the connector housingbetween the coupling nut and the second end of the connector housing andwherein the fiber optic adapter is a ruggedized fiber optic adapter andthe first port of the ruggedized fiber optic adapter includes a sealingsurface that engages the sealing member of the ruggedized fiber opticconnector when the ruggedized fiber optic connector is fully connectedto the ruggedized fiber optic adapter and the first port also includesinternal threads that threadingly receive external threads of thecoupling nut of the ruggedized fiber optic connector.
 19. The fiberoptic and electrical connection system of claim 10, wherein the firstand the second electrical conductors are also strength members.
 20. Thefiber optic and electrical connection system of claim 10, wherein theferrule of the fiber optic connector is spring biased in a directionfrom the first end of the connector housing to the second end of theconnector housing.